NOTICE OF PROPOSED CHANGES IN THE
REGULATIONS OF THE ALASKA BOARD OF GAME
The Alaska Board of Game proposes to adopt regulation changes in Title 5 of the Alaska Administrative Code, dealing with the use and taking of game. Regulations subject to board action are in 5 AAC 84, 85, 92, 98, and 99 for the Southeast and Southcentral Regions. The board will also address additional topics for other Game Management Units and statewide provisions including statewide reauthorization of antlerless moose hunts and brown bear tag fee exemptions.as described below:
The following subject matter areas to be addressed for the Southeast and Southcentral Region, Game Management Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 14C, and 15 are:
A. TRAPPING SEASONS AND BAG LIMITS for furbearers, including: Beaver and wolf.
B. HUNTING SEASONS AND BAG LIMITS for all species, including: Moose, caribou, deer, black bear, brown bear, elk, goat, Dall sheep, wolf, small game including waterfowl, migratory game birds, ptarmigan, tundra swan, grouse, and unclassified game. In addition, the potential Tier I or Tier II subsistence hunting for each population; and the reauthorization of antlerless moose hunts.
C. LICENSES, HARVEST TICKETS, HARVEST REPORTS, TAGS, FEES, AND PERMITS, including: Harvest tickets and reports for deer and black bear; migratory bird hunting; discretionary and required permit hunting and trapping conditions and procedures; permits for hunting black bear with the use of bait or scent lures; and special provisions for Dall sheep, mountain goat, moose, and brown bear drawing permit hunts.
D. METHODS AND MEANS for taking big game, game, fur animals, AND FURBEARERS, including: lawful methods of taking big game and game including with the use of crossbows; restrictions on the use of aircraft for sheep hunting and discharging weapons from boats; and lawful methods of taking furbearers and fur animals including requirements for trap identification, signage, and breakaway mechanisms.
E. POSSESSION, TRANSPORTATION AND THE USE OF GAME, including: salvage requirements for deer and bear; sealing requirements for bear, wolf, and coyote; and feeding deer.
F. GENERAL PROVISIONS, including: Harvest guidelines levels for wolves.
G. RESTRICTED AREAS, including: Areas closed to hunting and trapping including the Juneau area, Douglas Highway, and the Greens Creek Mine; controlled use areas including the Ayakulic River and the Unit 6B Controlled Use Areas; management areas including Douglas Island, Petersburg, Birchwood, Skilak Loop, Anchorage, and the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Management Areas; and Refuges including the Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge.
H. INTENSIVE MANAGEMENT AND PREDATOR CONTROL IMPLEMENTATION PLANS including: Prey populations and populations having a positive finding as identified big game prey populations including deer in Unit 1A.
I. ADDITIONAL TOPICS: The board scheduled the following topics in other units which resulted from the agenda change request process, or in the case of antlerless moose hunts and brown bear tag fees, must be authorized annually. For the Southcentral Region meeting, March 15-19, 2019: Annual reauthorization of antlerless moose hunts and brown bear tag fee exemptions for all units statewide excluding Unit 1-5; seasons and bag limits for moose in Units 16, 18, and 19 (proposals 126, 127, 146, and 150); seasons and bag limits for bear in Unit 9 (proposals 147 and 148); seasons and bag limits for mule deer statewide, excluding Sitka Black tailed deer (proposal 149); modification to the Clearwater Creek Controlled Use Area in Unit 13 (Proposal 128); transport of furbearers within the Dalton Highway Corridor Management Area (Proposal 129); and drawing hunt permit allocation for residents and nonresidents (Proposal 130). For the Southeast Region meeting, January 11-15, 2019: Seasons and bag limits for moose in Unit 21 (proposal 151), and seasons and bag limits for mule deer statewide, excluding Sitka black tailed deer (proposal 149). Proposal 149 is scheduled for both meetings, with final action scheduled for the March meeting. Proposals scheduled for the Southeast Region meeting, such as proposal 151, may be deferred by the board to the March 2019 meeting for final action.
The board may make changes to the hunting and trapping regulations as may be required to ensure the subsistence priority in AS 16.05.258, including reexamining customary and traditional use findings and determinations for amounts reasonably necessary for subsistence use.
The board will also take action on non-regulatory items during this meeting such as findings, letters, and delegations. Miscellaneous actions occur typically at the end of the meeting under miscellaneous business, but action may occur earlier in the meeting.
The proposed regulation changes are available on the Board of Game meeting websites at www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=gameboard.meetinginfo or by contacting the ADF&G Boards Support Section Office at (907) 465-4110. Additional meeting information such as the roadmap, agency reports, and advisory committee and public comments will be added to the website as it becomes available.
You may comment on the proposed regulations, including the potential costs to private persons of complying with the proposed changes, by submitting written comments, limited to no more than 100 single sided or 50 double sided pages, to the Alaska Board of Game, Boards Support Section at P.O. Box 115526, Juneau, AK 99811-5526. Comments can also be submitted online at www.boardofgame.adfg.alaska.gov, by fax to (907) 465-6094, or by email to dfg.bog.comments@alaska.gov (PDF format only). The deadlines for receiving comments are December 28, 2018 for the Southeast Region meeting, and March 1, 2019 for the Southcentral Region meeting. Comments must include a first and last name, community of residence, and the proposal number/s for which the comments pertain. Comments without this information will not be part of the board meeting workbook, indexed, or cross referenced with proposals, but they will be compiled and posted on the meeting information website. Written comments that are submitted are public records and are subject to public inspection.
Submission of written comments after the announced deadlines is limited to ten single-sided or five double-sided pages in length from any one individual or group and will be provided to the board members at the beginning of the meeting. During the meeting, written comments may be submitted by hand delivery if 20 copies are provided. Individuals not in attendance at a meeting may fax comments to 907-465-6094. As a practical matter, comments submitted after the board begins deliberations on relevant proposals are likely to receive less consideration than comments submitted earlier.
The Board of Game shall consider all factual, substantive, and relevant comments in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, Alaska Statute 44.62.210. Comments having disparaging statements or personal attacks will be withheld or redacted.
The public hearing portion of the meetings is scheduled for the beginning of each meeting following staff reports and will continue until everyone who has signed up and is present when called has been given the opportunity to be heard. However, state advisory committee representatives and federal regional advisory council representatives may elect to provide testimony at a later portion of the meeting. Additional public hearings may be held throughout the meeting just before consideration and adoption of proposed changes in the regulations. The board will take oral testimony only from those who register before the cut-off time which will be announced by the board chair prior to the meeting. The length of oral statements may be limited to three to five minutes, or less for the public and 10 to 15 minutes or less for fish and game advisory committee and federal regional advisory council representatives. Everyone interested in, or affected by, the subject matter contained in this legal notice should make written or oral comments if they wish to have their views considered by the board.
Tentative Board of Game Meeting Dates & Locations
Southeast Region Meeting
January 11-15, 2019
Sons of Norway Hall
23 Sing Lee Alley
Petersburg, AK 99833
Southcentral Region Meeting
March 15-19, 2019
Sheraton Anchorage Hotel
401 East 6th Avenue
Anchorage, AK 99501
Any changes to meeting location, dates or times, or rescheduling of topics or subject matter will be announced by news release and posted on the board’s website. Please watch for these announcements or call (907) 465-4110. Please carefully review the PROPOSAL INDEX and the additional proposal listing on the above-mentioned website for all specific proposal issues to be addressed by the board.
Anyone interested in or affected by subsistence and general hunting or trapping regulations is hereby informed that, by publishing this legal notice, the Board of Game may consider any or all of the subject areas covered by this notice. THE BOARD IS NOT LIMITED BY THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE OR CONFINES OF THE ACTUAL PROPOSALS THAT HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED BY THE PUBLIC OR STAFF. Pursuant to AS 44.62.200, the board may review the full range of activities appropriate to any of the subjects listed in this notice. After the public hearing, the Board of Game may adopt these or other provisions dealing with the same subject without further notice, or amend, reject, supplement, or decide to take no action on them. The language of the final regulations may be different from that of the proposed regulations. YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO COMMENT DURING THE TIME ALLOWED IF YOUR INTERESTS COULD BE AFFECTED.
If you are a person with a disability who may need special accommodations in order to participate in this process, please contact ADF&G, Boards Support Section at (907) 465-4110 no later than two weeks prior to the beginning of the meeting to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.
Statutory Authority: AS 16.05, AS 16.30.
Statutes Being Implemented, Interpreted, or Made Specific: AS 16.05.255; AS 16.05.256;
AS 16.05.258; AS 16.05.330; AS 16.05.340; AS 16.05.346; AS 16.05.405; AS 16.05.407; AS 16.05.780; AS 16.05.783; and AS 16.30.010 – .030.
Fiscal Information: The proposed regulation changes are not expected to require an increased appropriation.
DATE: December 5, 2018
/s/
Kristy Tibbles, Executive Director
Alaska Board of Game
(907) 465-4110
ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS NOTICE INFORMATION
(AS 44.62.190(g))
- Adopting agency: Alaska Board of Game
- General subject of regulation: Hunting and trapping regulations and other miscellaneous provisions for the Southeast and Southcentral Regions, statewide reauthorizations for antlerless moose hunts and brown tag fees, and miscellaneous topics for other game management units.
- Citation of regulations: 5 AAC 84, 85, 92, 98, and 99
- Department of Law file numbers: 2018200697 and 2018200698
- Reason for the proposed action:
( ) compliance with federal law
( ) compliance with new or changed state statute
( ) compliance with court order
( ) development of program standards
(X) Other: Regularly scheduled topics and other miscellaneous provisions for the Board of Game Southeast and Southcentral Region meetings. Implement, interpret, or make specific the provisions of AS 16.05-16.30.
- Appropriation/Allocation: Natural Resources and all RDUs
- Cost of implementation to the state agency and available funding: It is not possible to estimate costs. However, this action is not expected to require an increased appropriation.
- The name of the contact person for the regulations:
Name:Kristy Tibbles
Title:Executive Director, Board of Game
Address:Boards Support Section
Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game
PO Box 115526
Juneau, AK 99811-5526
Telephone:(907) 465-4110
E-mail:kristy.tibbles@alaska.gov
- The origin of the proposed action:
X staff of state agency
X federal government
X general public
- Date: December 5, 2018
Prepared by: /s/
Kristy Tibbles, Executive Director
Alaska Board of Game
(907) 465-4110